A Tribute to Legends Jagjit Singh and Om Puri

Tauseef Akhtar was just 15 when he composed the widely acclaimed ghazal album Aashiyana. He attributed Aashiyana’s resounding success to his mentor Jagjit Singh, who nurtured Tauseef’s talent and treated him as his favourite disciple. Talented Tauseef became assistant to the popular duo of Nadeem-Shravan, and sang many songs for films like Yeh Dil Aashiqana, Dil Hai Tumhara, Yeh Dil, Tumse Achha Kaun Hai and Ansh, to name a few.

However, ghazal was his first love and he eventually returned to his passion. Encouraged by his seniors, Tauseef Akhtar became one of the most admired young ghazal singers in Mumbai and soon started performing with big names like Talat Aziz, Pankaj Udhas, Chandan Das, Bhupinder Singh and Radhika Chopra amongst others.

The sudden death of his mentor Jagjit Singh moved Tauseef and he composed Yaadein to remember his mentor with all his heart. Yaadein brought tears to everyone’s eyes and evoked much interest in Bollywood. Tauseef planned to pay a tribute to his mentor, teacher and guide Jagjit Singh, accompanied by Om Puri’s narration, on a North American tour. Om Puri was also a friend of Jagjit Singh. It was to be a North American nostalgia tour – a fitting tribute on Jagjit Singh’s 76th birthday.

And then tragedy struck again. The duo were rehearsing and shooting photos for Yaadein when Om Puri suffered a massive fatal heart attack on January 6, 2017 .Uncertainty hung deep over the proposed North American tour with Om Puri’s sudden death, until Kabir Bedi, renowned theatre actor and film star, stepped in to take over Om Puri’s role.

Kamal Sharma, founder KVP Entertainers, says, ” In 1994, my very first concert was with Jagjit Singh and it was a sold out event. After that, I did three concerts with Jagjit Singh and they were al sold out. When I heard of the tribute tour, I wanted to be the one to bring these legendary artists to Metro Vancouver. This is special because Tauseef is the only disciple that Jagjit Singh ever had.”

This nostalgic event will be Yaadein: Remembering the Legends. Acclaimed as India’s first international star with a huge fan following in Europe, Kabir Bedi made his name as a theatre artist. Much before Priyanka Chopra, he was a popular name in Hollywood TV serials like Lost Empire, Dynasty and Magnum PI amongst others, and his portrayal of Sandokan gave him a cult status in Italy.

KVP Entertainers’ very first event of 2017, this incredible homage to India’s finest ghazal singer Jagjit Singh and one of India’s finest actor Om Puri – An Evening of Geet and Ghazal – sung by Tauseef Akhtar and narrated in Kabir Bedi’s rich baritone, will be staged at the Molson Canadian Theatre at Hard Rock Casino, Vancouver, on Sunday, March 19, 2017 at 7 PM.

Organizers at Hard Rock Casino (HRC) will honour the legend Jagjit Singh by offering some incentives that will make it a win-win situation for ticket holders:

About The Author

Ritu loves plain language - the kind you would use in a well-informed conversation with friends. Her writing engages and informs while respecting readers’ time and intelligence. She loves the challenge of making a story come alive. Grow a following of people who talk about your business and recommend your products and services with informative marketing stories to convey your unique ideas to new audiences. Contact Ritu Guglani at guglaniritu6@gmail.com

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